The problem of transporting small articles, and in particular grocery bags, in automobiles is well known by many consumers. Typically, the grocery bags are positioned on the back seat or on the back floor area of an automobile. Such areas are not intended to hold small articles. Normal driving of the automobile around corners or any sudden stop will likely cause the bags to tip over, thereby spilling their contents. Various solutions have been offered for this widely experienced problem. The solutions have utilized various permanent and semi-permanent racks which fit into the automobile's trunk. Examples of such racks can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,189,056; 4,226,348; and 4,372,512. All of the disclosed racks are portable knock-down type racks. The racks themselves are not capable of remaining in one spot. Additionally, they are fairly complex to build.
The problem above mentioned is particularly acute with station wagons. Such cars do not have a trunk area which permits the use of a rack. Various other devices have been suggested for use specifically with station wagons. Examples of these articles can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,986,315; 3,132,781; and 4,540,213. All of the disclosed devices are cumbersome to use in addition to being fairly expensive. Also, such devices when not used take up space and restrict the use of the space for other uses.
Hatchback automobiles are relatively recent in their popularity. They have a front and back seat for passengers and a back area which is very sloped and restricted as to how it can be used. Additionally, the space is open in that there are no deep recesses which can be used to conveniently transport small articles such as grocery bags. The area is also open to view due to windows and therefore, anything carried within the back area should ideally not be unpleasant to the eye. The various racks and other devices designed for use with conventional automobiles and station wagons can also be used with hatchback automobiles. However, the problems associated with them are even more pronounced with hatchback automobiles and therefore, have not been widely used.
In accord with this invention, an automotive accessory has been devised which is especially useful with hatchback automobiles and station wagons. The accessory is relatively inexpensive to produce yet, is easy to install and satisfactorily performs its function. The accessory is such that it can be folded down so as to present a flat surface when not in use.